Glossary of Terms

What constitutes sexual violence can be confusing. Sometimes people are unsure if what has happened to them is sexual violence; possibly even feeling that it wasn’t “violent” enough to be “real” sexual violence. Consent is the critical component in sexual violence. If there is no consent, it is wrong!

To offer clarification, here are the definitions that are utilized throughout our educational materials and trainings.

Sexual Harassment:

Sexual harassment is conduct of a sexual nature that is so severe and/or frequent that it interferes with a person’s ability to learn or work.

Sex/Gender Discrimination:

Sex discrimination involves treating someone unfavorably because of that person's sex. Sex discrimination can also involve treating someone less favorably because of his or her connection with an organization or group that is generally associated with people of a certain sex. Gender discrimination against an individual because that person does not conform with sex-stereotypes is also considered sex discrimination.

Sexual violence can happen to anyone. It happens within straight communities and LGBTQ communities. It can happen in all, and between, racial and ethic groups, all social economic levels, all religions, and anywhere else you can think of. Statistically, men are most often the perpetrators of violence against both women and other men; but men can be victims too.

Domestic Violence:

A pattern of abusive behavior that is used by an intimate partner to gain or maintain power and control over the other intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.

Any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs by force or without consent of the recipient of the unwanted sexual activity. Falling under the definition of sexual assault is sexual activity such as forced sexual intercourse, sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape. It includes sexual acts against people who are unable to consent either due to age or lack of capacity.

Dating Violence:

Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic and/or intimate nature with the victim.

Stalking:

A pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.

Education

Click the red escape button above or at the top of the page to immediately leave this site.

Under Title IX, sexual violence is a severe form of sexual harassment. Sexual violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at the University of New Mexico. Sexual violence may be committed by a stranger, an acquaintance or someone with whom the victim is involved in an intimate or sexual relationship. Victims of sexual violence are encouraged to report what happened to law enforcement and seek assistance from any of the resources, on and off campus, listed in this publication.

Please contact UNM's Title IX Coordinator, Heather Cowan, at hbcowan@unm.edu for more information about Title IX.